


All the wrong places

by Sylvalum



Category: Xenoblade Chronicles 2 (Video Game)
Genre: Angst, Gen, Team Bonding, Torna Tuesday, better chances of survival for torna i guess
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-11-13
Updated: 2018-11-13
Packaged: 2019-08-23 07:58:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,487
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16614992
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sylvalum/pseuds/Sylvalum
Summary: “Can we get a ride?” Zeke asks jokingly, as the rest of the party just stare at the Monoceros.





	All the wrong places

**Author's Note:**

> HMMM. i haven't written a whole bunch of these characters before!! let's see how it goes i guess  
> why: my lazy ass immediately thought of this in ch 8

“Can we get a ride?” Zeke asks jokingly, as the rest of the party just stare at the Monoceros. The Tornans must have piloted it down through the Cloud Sea to get all the way down here – to the dark and nasty land of Morytha – which is kinda impressive considering they did that just for one man. _And that’s how it’s gonna stay,_ the rest of the team surely think as they all glare at Zeke. Pyra doesn’t, of course, she’s way too nice for that, but Mythra is intrigued.

Jin stares off into the distance for a long moment like he’s thinking of a comeback, his coattails flapping dramatically in the wind. And then he says, “It doesn’t matter anymore. You might as well come.”

No, no, _bad answer_ , try again. Zeke’s face is priceless. Pandoria resignedly puts her face in her hands and Mòrag looks like someone just slapped her and now she’s itching to grab one of her swords for some fast retribution.

“Meh meh meh!” Tora flails around anxiously. “Jin and bad guys really help Tora and friends?”

_If you put it like that, then yeah no._

“Mythra!” admonishes Pyra in a whisper.

_C’mon, don’t tell me you actually want us to go with them?_

Pyra looks down at her feet. It’s the same shoes she’s been wearing for 500 years now and will likely wear for the rest of their life too. It’s a dumb and unimaginative way to end an argument, and Mythra knows that Pyra knows this and she’s just starting to argue-- when a voice unexpectedly speaks up “Actually, I think it’s great of you to offer, Jin!”

Pyra’s head shoots up and the whole party slowly fix their stares of horror on Rex, their young bold leader who unbothered cheers, “Let’s go guys!”

“Rex, I do not think this is a very good idea,” says Mòrag quickly, and Brighid and Poppi both nod behind her.

“Aw, why not?”

There’s a long heavy pause, and Mythra pictures that they’re all either thinking of the nicest way to phrase it or the fastest way to count as many of Torna’s crimes as possible.

Then _Pyra_ speaks up, surprising even Mythra who’s staying in her damn head; “I think we should go with Jin.”

_No!_

“Very well.” Jin must have made some sort of signal or similar, because the Monoceros descends even further, and that’s when the full horrid reality of what Zeke and Rex has just got them all into hits the team. They’re about to hitch a ride with Torna, up to the fucking World Tree – on a ship which, obviously, will be full of Torna members. Like Malos. Like Mikhail. There’s no way anyone’s actually going to-

“C’mon guys! This will be way better than climbing, yeah?”

-and the team reluctantly follows.

 

 

 

“What the hell, Jin?” Malos exclaims, and Mikhail knows that it’s that Rex’s team coming aboard, so he doesn’t turn to look. Or glare, or wink, or anything – he stares at the controls like he actually needs to do that to control the Monoceros, his back turned. (this is only a distraction they really don’t need. This is only-)

 “This evens out the odds, don’t you think?” that Rex guy quips back, because he’s got a death wish or something. Hey, attitude! _Keep it up kiddo._

“We should’ve just shot them,” groans Patroka.

“They helped me,” Jin says neutrally. “You can shoot them later.”

“Gee, thanks Jin!” Nia huffs, that’s Nia’s voice alright. 

“This is only a momentary ceasefire,” says an ice-cold woman’s voice, must be the Special Inquisitor then, “As soon as we reach our destination, we will be enemies once more.”

“But it doesn’t have to be that way!” Oh man. Rex is about to get badly outvoted. Mikhail keeps his head down and his eyes on the screen but still he smirks as Malos starts proclaiming, soon joined in by Lady Flamebringer and – and Brighid and Mythra. Architect, soon they’ll be shouting at each other and honestly, it never ends, does it?

“Are we ready to go?” Mikhail asks loudly, cutting through a rant before it’s gotten really started, and it’s that Tantalese guy who quickly replies,

“Yes! The sooner the better.”

“Don’t forget this was _your_ idea in the first place, my prince!”

“Rex agreed, though!”

“Still fault of Zeke!”

_Only a momentary ceasefire, sure, sure._

 

 

 

Pyra wonders whether she lost something that day. The thing with losing memories is that you won’t remember what you’ve lost; you’ll never miss it because it’ll be like you never had it, but she couldn’t help but wonder as she looked at Malos, whether she lost some dear old memories from Mythra’s time. She won’t miss them. (is that… worse or is it better?) She’ll never know, just – she doesn’t want to face Malos like this, a setting such as _this_ , and so she lets Mythra take over (like Mythra isn’t a part of her just as she’s a part of Mythra…)

Mythra can use the anger while Pyra bears the sadness.

 

 

 

The chatter washes over Jin, who watches them from where he’s standing. Rex’s group stand by the doors from which they entered, frozen in place by apprehension or discomfort, perhaps. Malos is arguing with Rex, and Brighid and her Driver occasionally agree with him but mostly seem to be in to condemn Torna. Poppi’s Nopon Driver is looking at the controls of the Monoceros with an odd look, and talking to him is the Prince of Tantal, his Blade teasing him-

-Jin only looks, silent, as do Akhos, Patroka.

There is their goal and nothing else that matters. He’s made his promise, he’s made his decisions.

( _Were Torna ever this lively?_ …He knows the answer)

You don’t have to be loud to show your opinions. You don’t have to be loud for much of anything. Though Mikhail and Patroka, Akhos and Obrona, sometimes on good days…

 

 

 

It’s pretty weird, being back here. Okay, ‘back’ is sorta stretching it since Nia was only with Torna for a few weeks, but you know. Dromarch doesn’t like this either, but hey, it’s faster than climbing! –and it’s not exactly like they _have_ to interact with the Torna bunch either, though Rex sure seems to want to a whole lot. Too big a heart, that’s his problem. (oh, what the hell, maybe it’s his best feature too)

Nia however is content to just glare at the backs of Ahkos and Patroka’s heads.

 

 

 

Why the fuck Jin would let these kids tag along beats Malos. Sometimes Jin makes shit decisions, and the rest just have to deal with the consequences – like the disaster that was interior decorating. Exhibit two: today. It’s just so ridiculous how much faith that Rex kid has got, how does he even contain it all? Bubbly enthusiasm seems to be bursting out of him at all times, where does he even get it? _Why_?

Why the hell would you-

But Malos isn’t that big on asking questions, so he’ll leave it be. Kid would just begin another of those damned pep talks anyway.

 

 

 

When the Monoceros stops to let them off, Rex knows that they’ll get out and then they’ll fight, and it’s the World Tree out there, it’s nearly time. They’ll just have to stop them, right, and then – and then…

The World Tree looms enormous above them, so vast and wide and tall, like a possibility. Like _hope_.

Rex just wishes he could make Jin and the others see it too.

“We’re here,” announces Jin curtly, and that’s it, is it. They’re here, at last. _If only…_

 

 

 

“Go, go,” Mikhail tells them all. “I’ll stay with the ship.”

The Ardainians were first out, then the Nopon and the Tantalese duo, then Malos and Jin. Nia and her Blade glance back but then they hurry out, while Rex lingers inside like a bad memory, Mythra staring resolutely out and up and away from him. It’s clear she wants them all to hurry up, and Mikhail couldn’t agree more.

Akhos and Patroka waits for just a moment too long and Mik realises that they _are_ waiting, and he turns his smile into a smirk and says, “Aw, you waiting for me, Patroka?”

“Choke,” she snaps back. “We’re leaving. And don’t you dare die in the meantime.”

“Wouldn’t dream of it.”

He watches as she leaves, the wind catching her long black hair as she jumps outside. She doesn’t look back, and Akhos follows right after, and then they’re gone.

…Only Rex and Mythra left.

-Mikhail turns back around to mess with the controls. “Scram,” he says. “This is the last stop.”

“Mythra?” asks Rex, and she huffs.

“Bye. Don’t die, I guess.” Wow, such encouragement. Mikhail smiles, and finally he can hear them leaving – he looks at them one last time, and Mythra somehow catches his eye.

She waves.

And then she’s gone, too.


End file.
